CC-06   EXCESSIVE DIFFUSE HAIR GROWTH IN A PATIENT TREATED WITH CETUXIMAB

R. Grimalt, C. Montagut*, J. Grau*, J. Ferrando Departments of Dermatology and Oncology* Hospital Clínic. University of Barcelona. Spain.

We report the case of a 66-year-old man diagnosed with a supraglottic squamous cell carcinoma stage III for which he underwent a suproglottic laringectomy plus modified radical neck dissection. Six months later he presented local progression and salvage chemotherapy with carboplatin and tegafur was started. He relapsed again and started a protocol with carboplatin and cetuximab. One year after developed impressive diffuse hair growth on trunk mimicking the aspect of "wolf hair". When chemotherapy was discontinued the excessive hair shaded. IMC-C225 (Cetuximab) is a monoclonal chimerical antibody directed selectively against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), whose affinity to the EGFR is at least as high as the EGFR ligand (EGF), blocking the tyrosin-kinase activation and the cellular proliferation. Various studies indicate that IMC-C225 inhibits the growth of the tumoral cells in vitro and in vivo with xenoinjerts models. We suggest that when cetuximab binds to the EGFR in the lower outer root sheet (ORS) and in the matrix cells of the bulb during the late anagen phase, it alters the growth cycle of the hair follicle and it does not allow the anagen-catagen transformation. This will lead to a remaining of the hair follicles in the anagen phase developing hair growth.

References:

Herbst RS, Hong WK. IMC-C225, an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody for treatment of head and neck cancer. Semin Oncol 2002;29:18-30.